For People Ready to Change: Recovery & Self-Directed Help

Audience: Adults exploring change, in any stage (pre‑contemplation to maintenance), and their supporters.

Purpose: Provide low‑barrier access to practical “how‑to change” materials across recovery pathways, including harm reduction.

What you could include in this collection:

  • Step‑by‑step guides for quitting, cutting back, or using more safely
  • Daily readers/meditation books and workbooks
  • Pathway‑specific materials: AA/NA, SMART Recovery, Recovery Dharma, Women for Sobriety, Moderation Management
  • Guidance on medications for opioid & alcohol use disorder (MOUD/MAT)
  • Tools for relapse prevention and supporting loved ones

Example starter titles & tools:

  • Core Texts from Recovery Support Groups:
    • Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book)
    • Narcotics Anonymous
    • SMART Recovery Handbook
    • Recovery Dharma
    • Living Sober (series)
  • Behavior Change & Skill Building:
    • Mind Over Mood – Dennis Greenberger
    • The Addiction Recovery Skills Workbook – Suzette Glasner-Edwards
    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Workbook for Addiction – Lawrence Wallace
    • The CBT Workbook for Perfectionism – Sharon Martin
    • The Mindfulness Workbook for Addiction- Rebecca E. Williams PhD and Julie S. Kraft MA 
    • Quit Like a Woman – Holly Whitaker
    • This Naked Mind – Annie Grace
    • The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober – Catherine Gray
  • Harm reduction:
    • Naloxone & Fentanyl Test Strips (pamphlets)
    • zine‑style guides on safer use (many availble online or from community harm reduction non-profits)
    • The Drug Users Bible – Dominic Milton Trott
  • Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD):
    • Plain‑language pamphlets on buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone
  • Family support:
    • Beyond Addiction — Foote et al. (CRAFT approach)
    • Addict in the Family — Beverly Conyers
    • Understanding and Helping an Addict (and keeping your sanity) – Andrew Proulx
    • Loving an Addict, Loving Yourself: The Top 10 Survival Tips for Loving Someone With an Addiction – Candace Plattor

Collection practices that remove barriers:

  • No‑questions‑asked copies: Stock free‑to‑keep versions of the most‑requested items (AA Big Book; Living Sober; SMART Handbook, etc.). Refill monthly.
  • Discreet pickup: Place a small rack near health brochures or in a quiet aisle. Offer a self‑checkout station or QR‑code links to eBooks.
  • Privacy: Post a one‑sentence privacy notice for eBooks/audiobooks; offer print alternatives.
  • Multilingual: Prioritize Spanish language materials and any prevalent local languages.

Find help now:

Localize:

  • Add a box for local meetings (AA/NA/Al‑Anon/SMART/Recovery Dharma), your health department clinic, syringe service programs, and free naloxone pickup sites.